A Slow Cooker is a Girl’s Best Friend

I have an addiction to my slow cooker. For those who have never used this modern marvel, start today. As a teacher, a slow cooker quickly became a kitchen essential. Whether it be to combat what you know will be a long day, or to provide instant dinner as soon as you are home, to making a delicious cup of cocoa (recipe coming soon), the slow cooker has become my go-to tool. I think I use it at least once a week. Maybe more. I have no shame in this. Cooking at home is hard- it takes time, resources, and planning. If your job is anything like mine, sometimes those items (especially time) are hard to come by. Take the help where you can- you earned it.

My favorite Skinnytaste cookbook is back again today. Gina features tons of slow cooker favorites, and on a cold, windy winter night, this soup was just what I needed. You’ll notice in the recipe that salt is not listed. No, that is not a misprint. One of this cookbook’s defining features is an attempt to reduce sodium content in our food. Yes, salty things are good, but as this recipe proves, herbs give flavor, and I promise the chicken stock in it is salty enough. Mitch and I did not reach for the salt shaker once! Fair warning, this makes quite a large batch of soup. We both had large bowls last night, a lunch for both of us for work today, and there’s still probably 2-4 more servings left. The cookbook notes that this recipe is one that can be frozen once done. I highly recommend it. This would make a great freezer find the next time someone is under the weather.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

Soup:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 box reduced-sodium chicken stock or broth

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 14.5oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes

3-4 tablespoons cilantro (fresh is great, my store had a stir in paste and that worked well too)

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1-2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 teaspoon chopped chipotle in adobo or jalapeno (I didn’t have this so I didn’t use it and the soup was wonderful)

Potential Toppings:

Shredded cheese

Sour Cream

Tortilla chips

Fresh cilantro

Avocado slices

Sliced scallions

Steps:

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add the garlic and onions and cook until translucent (3-5 minutes).

Add the mixture to a slow cooker.

Add all the other ingredients and stir to combine.

Set the cooker to low, and cook 4-7 hours. The chicken should be tender and able to be shredded with forks.

Side note: since school is longer than that, mine sat 10 hours. It did absolutely nothing to the effect of the dish. There is so much liquid in this, the chicken stays moist regardless.